A three-dimensional integrated circuit formed by applying a material to fill a gap between coupled wafers and slicing the coupled wafers into dice. A method for filling a gap between coupled wafers. Various embodiments include at least one of spinning a coupled wafer pair, drilling a hole into one of the coupled wafers, and using a vacuum to aid in the dispersion of the material.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A process, comprising: spinning a first wafer bonded to a second wafer at a first spin speed, said first wafer positioned above said second wafer to form a gap between said bonded first and second wafers; and applying a material on a top surface of said first wafer until said material flows to an edge of said first wafer enabling said material to flow into said gap between said bonded first and second wafers.
2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising: spinning said first wafer bonded to said second wafer at a second spin speed to a point where said material flows from said edge of said first wafer to fill said gap between said first wafer and said second wafer; and curing said material.
3. The process of claim 2 , further comprising: spinning said first wafer bonded to said second wafer at a third spin speed to clear excessive said material.
4. The process of claim 3 , further comprising: grinding down said first wafer to a thickness of approximately 10–50 microns.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein said gap is less than 1 micron in height, and said material is a low viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein said gap is greater than 5 microns in height, and said material is a high viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
7. The process of claim 5 , wherein said material has a viscosity of less than 1000 centipoise.
8. The process of claim 6 , wherein said material has a viscosity of greater than 1000 centipoise.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein said gap is at least 250 microns in depth and at most 300 microns in height.
10. The process of claim 2 , wherein said second spin speed is performed at a deceleration rate of approximately 5,000 to 10,000 rpm/second.
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein said applying a material is at a center of the top of said first wafer.
12. The process of claim 3 , wherein said third spin speed is faster than said second spin speed.
13. The process of claim 3 , wherein said first spin speed is approximately 500 to 3,000 rpm.
14. The process of claim 13 , wherein said first spin speed and said third spin speed are the same.
15. The process of claim 13 , wherein said second speed is approximately 0 to 50 rpm.
16. The process of claim 13 , wherein said material is applied directly into said gap between said first wafer and said second wafer.
17. A process, comprising: creating a hole in a center of a first wafer; bonding said first wafer to a second wafer to create a bonded wafer pair; applying a polymer material through said hole to cause said material to flow through said hole and into a gap between said bonded wafer pair; and curing said material.
18. The process of claim 17 , further comprising: spinning said bonded wafer pair while applying said material.
19. The process of claim 18 , further comprising: reducing spin speed of spinning suddenly to fill a gap between said bonded wafers after applying said material.
20. The process of claim 19 , further comprising: increasing spin speed of spinning said bonded wafer pair to clear excessive said material.
21. The process of claim 17 , in which said material also flows to the edge of said first wafer.
22. The process of claim 17 , in which creating said hole is created using approximately a ¼ to 1/16 inch hollow core drill bit having a diamond coating on it to make an approximately ¼ to 1/16 inch hole in diameter.
23. The process of claim 22 , in which creating said hole is performed before said bonding.
24. The process of claim 17 , in which creating said hole is created using approximately 5 to 15 second laser pulsing.
25. The process of claim 17 , in which creating said hole is created using an ion beam.
26. The process of claim 17 , in which said hole is a size of a dummified region on said bonded wafer pair.
27. The process of claim 17 , in which said hole is approximately 1 millimeter or larger.
28. The process of claim 17 , in which a plurality of holes is created in said first wafer.
29. A wafer coupling method, comprising: spinning a set of coupled wafers; creating a pressure differential between a hole in at least one of the coupled wafers and a gap between the coupled wafers; causing a material to fill said gap by spreading said material through said coupled wafers because of said pressure differential; and curing said material.
30. The method of claim 29 , in which a vacuum creates said pressure differential between said hole and said gap.
31. The method of claim 30 , in which said vacuum is applied directly at said hole, and said material is applied directly at said gap.
32. The method of claim 30 , in which said vacuum is applied directly at said gap, and said material is applied directly at said hole.
33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising: applying a positive pressure at said hole to push said material through said hole.
34. The method of claim 29 , further comprising: grinding down at least one of said coupled wafers to a thickness of approximately 10–50 microns.
35. The method of claim 29 , wherein said gap is less than 1 micron in height, and said material is a low viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
36. The method of claim 29 , wherein said gap is greater than 5 microns in height, and said material is a high viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
37. The method of claim 35 , wherein said material has a viscosity of less than 1000 centipoise.
38. The method of claim 36 , wherein said material has a viscosity of greater than 1000 centipoise.
39. A wafer coupling method, comprising: creating a hole in a center of a first wafer; coupling said first wafer to a second wafer to create a coupled wafer pair; spinning said coupled wafer pair; applying a vacuum at said hole; applying a material directly into a gap between said coupled wafer pair; attracting said material toward said hole of said coupled wafer pair through said gap by applying said vacuum at said hole; and curing said material.
40. The method of claim 39 , in which said vacuum creates a pressure differential between said hole and said gap.
41. The method of claim 39 , further comprising: grinding down said first wafer to a thickness of approximately 10–50 microns.
42. The method of claim 39 , wherein said gap is less than 1 micron in height, and said material is a low viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
43. The method of claim 39 , wherein said gap is greater than 5 microns in height, and said material is a high viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
44. The method of claim 42 , wherein said material has a viscosity of less than 1000 centipoise.
45. The method of claim 43 , wherein said material has a viscosity of greater than 1000 centipoise.
46. The method of claim 39 , in which a plurality of holes is created in said first wafer.
47. The method of claim 39 , in which said hole is created prior to coupling said first wafer to said second wafer.
48. A wafer coupling method, comprising: coupling a first wafer to a second wafer to create a coupled wafer pair; spinning said coupled wafer pair; applying a vacuum directly in a gap between said coupled wafer pair; applying a material on top of said coupled wafer pair causing said material to flow through a hole through said first wafer of said coupled wafer pair; attracting said material toward said gap by creating a pressure differential between said hole and said gap; and curing said material.
49. The method of claim 48 , further comprising: creating said hole through said first wafer in a center of said first wafer prior to coupling said first wafer to said second wafer.
50. The method of claim 48 , further comprising: grinding down said first wafer to a thickness of approximately 10–50 microns.
51. The method of claim 48 , wherein said gap is less than 1 micron in height, and said material is a low viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
52. The method of claim 48 , wherein said gap is greater than 5 microns in height, and said material is a high viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
53. The method of claim 51 , wherein said material has a viscosity of less than 1000 centipoise.
54. The method of claim 52 , wherein said material has a viscosity of greater than 1000 centipoise.
55. The method of claim 48 , in which a plurality of holes is created in said first wafer.
56. The method of claim 48 , further comprising: applying a positive pressure at said hole to push said material through said hole.
57. A three-dimensional (3-D) integrated chip system, comprising: a first wafer having a hole in a center of said first wafer; a second wafer that is bonded to said first wafer, creating a bonded wafer pair; and a material within a gap created when said bonded wafer pair is created, said gap between said first wafer and said second wafer in said bonded wafer pair.
58. The system of claim 57 , wherein said first wafer is grounded down to a thickness of approximately 10–50 microns after curing said material.
59. The system of claim 57 , wherein said gap is less than 1 micron in height, and said material is a low viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
60. The system of claim 57 , wherein said gap is greater than 5 microns in height, and said material is a high viscosity polymer material from a group consisting of SiLK-J, polyimide, spin-on glass, benzocyclobutene, polynorbornene, and polyarylenes.
61. The system of claim 59 , wherein said material has a viscosity of less than 1000 centipoise.
62. The system of claim 60 , wherein said material has a viscosity of greater than 1000 centipoise.
63. The system of claim 57 , wherein at least two holes is created in said first wafer.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 16, 2004
August 8, 2006
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